Andy Reid Bio Send To Friend  

Sunderland signed this barrel-chested midfielder from Charlton Athletic during the 2008 January transfer window for £4million, on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Manager Roy Keane had played with Reid with the Republic of Ireland national team and was keen to secure the services of Charlton's skipper to help boost Sunderland in their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Reid' football education really started with Nottingham Forest, but joined the club from Irish side Cherry Orchard in the summer of 1999.

He made his debut at the City Ground in a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United in November 2000, netting the second goal in the 64th minute.

It was clear from his displays in the remainder of that campaign that he would be a star of the future for Forest. He played 15 times, scoring twice.

In 2001/02 he continued to impress under new boss Paul Hart and finished the campaign with 31 appearances to his name, but no goals.

After representing Ireland at youth level Reid made his full international bow in November of the 2003/04 season, against Canada.

He was an ever-present for Forest that term and was named in the PFA Division One team of the year. The player also finished as Forest's top scorer with 13 in the league.

And in August 2004 he netted his first goal for Ireland, against Bulgaria.

Days before this Reid had handed in a transfer request to the Forest board, although they insisted he would not leave the club on the cheap.

Tottenham Hotspur made a number bids and following Forest's disastrous 2004/05 campaign Spurs signed Reid, and defender Michael Dawson, in a combined £8million deal minutes before the transfer window closed.

Reid scored 25 goals in a total of 160 appearances for Nottingham Forest.

He made his Spurs debut in a 31 win over Portsmouth but failed to make his mark in the Premier League and was later shipped out of White Hart Lane.

After suffering a serious knee injury in February 2006, that disrupted the rest of his season, Reid signed for Charlton in August and started the season brightly.

Although Charlton started the 2006/07 season woefully, Reid was the one bright light in the campaign, although his performances were not enough to keep Iain Dowie in a job.

Following Charlton's relegation Reid once again excelled in the League Championship before joining Sunderland in 2008.